Local Voice on Stage in Bye Bye Birdie

Bye Bye Birdie is at The Footlight Club for one more weekend, with performances taking place on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22. The Friday show begins at 8 p.m., while the first Saturday performance is a 2 p.m. matinee and the other begins at 8 p.m.

David Sullivan, a Charlestown resident, plays Randolph MacAfee. I caught up with the 10 year old about his experiences with the show, lobster rolls, and his next step after the Bye Bye Birdie production ends.

MB: How did you get into musical theatre?

DS: I started performing at the Charlestown Working Theater when I was 6 years old. I loved the experience of being on stage!

MB: What’s it like playing the brother to the girl (Kim) that gets the last kiss from Conrad Birdie before he leaves?

DS: It’s so much fun! My role of the brother, Randolph, loves his father and wants to be just like him.

MB: You will be in Assassins at the Oberon in Cambridge. What can you tell me about what you will do in the show?

DS: In Assassins I play Billy, the son of Sara Jane Moore who attempts to assassinate Gerald Ford. I start rehearsals next week with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club students. The show will be performed in early December.

MB: How will you unwind when Bye Bye Birdie ends?

DS: Unfortunately I will not have much downtime when Birdie ends because of my next show, but if I do have free time I enjoy playing with friends, reading and watching television.

MB: Say you’ll celebrate finishing the show by having your favorite meal. What would that be?

DS: My favorite meal is a lobster roll, oysters, steamed broccoli and a huge hot fudge sundae for dessert.

The Footlight Club is located on 7A Eliot St. in Jamaica Plain.

Tickets are $25 ($22 for seniors and children). They are available online.

Photo courtesy of David and Leslie Sullivan.